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West Virginia
When I started my retirement travels in 2009, I wanted a way to share it with family and friends as it was happening. Hence, "My Travel Journal". However I realized I wouldn't always be on a trip and wondered what to do with the blog in between times. My daughter pointed out, wisely, that travels can also include trips to the kitchen to try a new recipe, trips to visit family, trips to my neighborhood Starbucks, or a fun day trip with a friend. You're welcome to join me on any of these journeys! I've set up individual pages for each of my major trips (see tabs above).

Also, I have an Etsy shop where my current needlework resides. The last pieces I posted here were in 2013! So if you'd like to see what I have accomplished recently, go to (and I apologize for having to copy and paste):

www.etsy.com/shop/thedollhouseneedle

I recently added an "Italian Word a Day" thingie which shows up at the bottom of every page. You see the word and can click to hear it pronounced. I've been enjoying it and I think my accent is improving as time goes by.

September 26, 2011

What We Brought Home from IGMA Show

Okay - this will be a little show and tell and poor Chris will hang his head and cry when he sees the pictures I took of his treasures.  I even sat the camera on the shelf so it would be steady and they still look grainy to me.  But, Chris - you will have to take pictures yourself at some point and then you can post them on your Better Photo Gallery and they will be gorgeous.

Chris ended up with three wood turnings by the same artist. He bought two and one one in the live auction after the show. This little piece has a beautiful grain which changes appearance as you turn it this way and that and the light catches it. The lid fits perfectly and it's a sweet little piece.


He also purchased the bowl on the left during the show from the same artisan.  Again, the picture doesn't come close to showing the lovely grain in the wood and the fact that the band around the top is of a different wood.  The footed bowl on the left is the piece he bid for and won in the auction and it's a beauty.  Chris told me the way he got the very thin white pieces into the bowl was not with inlay, but by first composing a block comprised of dark wood pieces and light wood pieces in such a way that when he turned the block on the lathe, this was the result.  It is beautiful.  The base is a black wood.


And the piece de resistance for Chris:  this stunning ewer in sterling silver fashioned by Pete Acquisto - probably the best known miniature silversmith working today.  You may need to enlarge the picture on the left to see that the handle has a double row of beading running the length of it and is attached at the base with a leaf-patterned design.  I apologize that you see the reflection of my camera but that's how shiny it is. 



Chris certainly brought home the true treasures this time.  I didn't really buy very much, just enjoyed the atmosphere after a long time away from it.  I went hoping to find bits and pieces for my little half inch scale scene and I did find plates which was especially what I was searching for.  First bought some plain white porcelain ones and then discovered Ginger Langdon Siegel was there with her wonderful 3-dimensional framed miniatures.  I had visited her site on-line and saw that she had pretty little 1/2 inch plates made out of paper but on line she just had them shown in sets of 4 plates, all with different patterns.  At the show, she had a whole bunch of loose plates and I was able to pick out six of one pattern and I think 5 of another, so I'm pretty well plated.

I also bought a beautiful little handwoven basket of fruit that I can put on the hutch, table, or wherever and a little cookie jar.  And I finally found a globe for January's library scene that may someday get built. I will probably take it off of this base.  It was part of a boxed set she had made.  The top of the box had a little magnifying glass insert and was quite delightful but I didn't want it in a box so she said she would sell me just the globe and save the top to make another one sometime.  I've saved her information, but it's packed away until I get home so I can't tell you the name of the artist.  But she had all sorts of neat things, including orreries (those antique mechanical thingies that showed the sun with the planets extending out on arms around it).  If anyone wants the information on her, either e-mail me or say so in the comments section and I will be able to post it when I get back home in a week or so.

So I think that really and truly ends the report on my NYC and IGMA trip.  Kind of hate to see it come to an end, but I've enjoyed today too, getting up to Heather's new house without getting lost one time (thanks for the directions, Chris), seeing my wonderful grandkiddies again, and especially meeting the alpacas!  Weird but kind of endearing...I will be heading down to January's on Thursday once I know Heather has come through her "let's break her arm again and fix it right this time" surgery...poor thing.  I feel so bad for her.  But, hopefully a month or two from now, she'll be feeling pretty much like a person with two good arms again and can put all this behind her.

4 comments:

Chinch said...

Gorgeous stuff -- especially the items that Chris got and especially, especially the silver ewer. Would like to see your sets of plates but guess I'll do that in person. And poor, dear Heather. You hadn't told me that she was going to have to have her arm re-done or whatever one wants to call it (and I'm calling it words you don't want in your blog). Hope it goes well and glad you'll be there to hold her hand and say there, there. Give her good wishes from us. xoxo

jamie said...

Give my best wishes for a speedy recovery to Heather. Take lots of pictures of the Johnny and Sophia - and the alpacas! Be careful and have fun!

January said...

A globe for my library! The roombox that may never be . . . ;)

Chris did get some beautiful pieces, for sure.

See you soon! xox

elly in amsterdam said...

Wow, Mary Lynne, you both had amazing finds! Thank you for the pics, thank you for sharing your experiences.I loved reading about it.
Cheers,
Elly

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